Control handle



Jn. 23, |1945., C A SCHALMS I 2,367,892

CONTROL HANDLE Filed Sept. 25, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l u Q Q u u Q |30 |5| las INVENTOR.

CHARLES A.SCHALLIS I3 5B BY .22A 2O `S330-wf ATTOR N EYS Jan. 23, 1945. c. A. 'SCHALLIS 2,367,892

CONTROL HANDLE Filed sept. 23, 1943 2 sheets-sheet 2 i235? 233 i /255A n L@ a I n 2532A 'H2325h 223 1,/222 u u u w y u UWM 23o 22e \\\\\5\2o A JNVENToR. CHARLES A. scHALLls 'ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 23, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTROL HANDLE Charles A. Schallis, Detroit, Mich. Application September 23, 1943, Serial N0. 503,567

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to control handles or knobs and has among its objects a control knob, handle or button that may be moved to a position wherein it is flush with the surrounding surface when inactive.

Another.object is a control element which will remain rmly locked in its flush position but which may be easily and quickly released by a slight further inward movement.

Another object is a deviceV of the kind indicated which may be constructed of relatively few parts easily and quickly assembled and which is very unlikely to get out of order.

Still other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of a control knob constructed according to the present invention and shown in its projected position.

Figure 2 is a similar sectional view of the same in its extreme inward or releasing position.

Figure 3 is a front elevation showing the smooth flush position and appearance.

Figure 4 is a section similar to Figure 1 but of another embodiment.

Figure 5 is a section showing the latter embodiment in locked-in position.

Figure 6 is a section similar to Figure 1 but showing a third embodiment.

Figure 7 is a section showiri'g this last embodiment in locked-in position.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a detail of construction of the embodiment of Figures 6 and '7.

Figure 9 is a section showing a fourth form.

Figure 10 is a part section illustrating a control handle of a shape other than circular.

Figure 11 is a front view of the'same.

Figure 12 is a front view indicating an alternative construction.

In the drawings, it will be seen that the invention involves broadly a control handle or button which is mounted in a suitable panel or wall in such manner that it may project therefrom a suitable distance and be used to operate any suitable mechanism, such as an electric switch, a valve, radio parts, etc., and when not in use, may be moved back to a position ush with the surrounding surface and retained securely against accidental movement or against being struck by passing objects.

The invention also involves a self-contained locking and releasing means including a positive latch and a latch disabling means, the latter consisting of an element movable relative to a latch part to disable the latch temporarily so as to permit projection of the handle, the latching parts being restored to operative condition during the outward movement of the handle.

A number of ways of obtaining the results indicated are being shown but all embody the elements indicated above.

In Figures 1 and 2 a suitable mounting panel is shown at 20 as provided with an opening 2| in which is slidably mounted (in this case) cylindrical button 22 provided with a square central bore 23 and a peripheral groove 24. A suitable deep annular groove 25 may also be kprovided as a spring seat in order to permit the use of a rather long helical spring 26.

Mounted on the back of panel 20 and around opening 2l is a thimble 30 into which the button 22 moves when thrust back ilush with the panel 26 and which is closed at its rear except for an opening providing a passage for a suitable square shaft 3l. This shaft 3| passes into thimble 30 and is sufficiently long to extend into the bore 23 of button 22 a short distance when the latter is in projected position and be capable of being rotated thereby.

Near the rear end of thimble 30 is a wide inside peripheral groove 32, into which is loosely tted a flat split spring ring 33 having its forward inner corner` beveled or rounded on a rather large radius as indicated at 33A.

At its forward end, the thimble 3i] is slightly enlarged as at 30A providing a sloping shoulder 30B, the thimble, between Vthis shoulder and groove 32 being of such diameter as t the button 22 loosely and serve as a guide therefor.

Mounted in groove 24 in the button 22 is a secondsplit spring ring 35 having itsfrearward outer corner beveled or rounded on a rather large radius as indicated at 35A. This ring 35 serves two functions. It acts as a stop ange to prevent ejection of the button 22 when it expands into thimble portion 30A and strikes the edge ZIA of the panel opening 2| and also serves as a latch part when the button is moved inwardly far enough to allow the ring to expand into groove 32.

It will be noted that when the button 22,is moved from the position of Figure 1, the ring 35 will be contracted by shoulder 30B and then will expand into groove 32 when the button moves to ush position, the ring 33 having been moved to the rear portion ofthe groove. When, however, the button 22 is moved further inwardly,

the coacting beveled edges of rings 35 and 33 cause the former to be contracted into the latter, into the position of Figure 2, and since the ring 33 is of the same depth as groove 32, forward or outward movement of the button permits the ring 35 to move beyond the wall of the groove and on toward its outer position (Figure 1).

The spring 26 is of course used to store up suicient energy to project the button when the latch is disabled.

A somewhat different embodiment is shown in Figures 4 and 5.

In these gures, the button |22 is shown as provided with a central square bore |23, having its upper face partially cut backas at |23A and provided with a notch |23B at the inner end of the cut back portion. It is also provided with a molded-in axially located and extending post |33 having at its end a ball or knob |33A. An integral stop ange |22A is also shown.

Extending into bore |23 is a shaft |3|, itself bored axially as at |3|A to receive the post |33 and ball |33A. This shaft |3| is notched or cut away at an intermediate portion of its length as 'at |32, the bottom wall of the notch sloping from the ends toward an opening |32A connecting the slot with the bore |3|A.

Mounted in the notch |32 is a spring member |35 formed of hat stock bent to provide a hook or nose |35A extending upward and a rounded portion |35B extending downwardly. This member |35 is slightly longer than notch |32 so that it snaps over center when pressed downwardly beyond center from the position of Figure 4 and snaps back to this position when pushed up by the ball |33A.

It will readily be seen that, when the button is moved inwardly, the spring |35 is pushed downward a short distance by upper cut back portion of the bore wall until the nose |35A reaches the notch |23B and snaps into it. The portion |23C of the wall is, however, low enough to cause the spring to snap down over center when the button is moved farther in, and consequently the button is released for outward movement.

As the button moves outwardly, however, the ball |33A strikes the bent-down portion of the spring and snaps it back to the latching position of Figure 4. A suitable spring |26 is mounted on the shaft |3| between a stop |30 and the end of the button.

Another form, shown in Figures 6, 'I and 8, consists of a button 222 having a central square bore 223 whose upper wall is cut out as at 223A to receive a spring member 235 suitably anchored in the inner end of the bore 223 and having a portion extending lengthwise to about the open end thereof.

As shown, the spring 235 has at an intermediate point an upwardly bent semi-circular socket 235A and has its free end bent downwardly to form a hook 235B. The shaft 23| in this form is provided with a longitudinally extending groove 232, of a length and width to receive the spring 235, and cross grooves 232A and 232B of which the former is `co-equal in depth with groove 232 while the latter, 232B, is somewhat shallower. Further, the forward wall of groove 232A slopes up gradually to where it meets groove 232B.

Adapted to coact with the cross grooves is a roller 233 tting closely groove 232B but lying loosely in groove 232A. When the button is projected, as in Figure 6, the hook end of spring 235 moves the roller out of groove 232A into the groove 232B and then cooperates with the roller and groove 232B to prevent further outward movement.

When the button is moved inwardly, the spring slides over the roller, the small ridge between grooves 232A and 232B preventing movement of the roller, until the socket 232A drops thereover. This serves to hold the button in the flush position of Figure 7. Further inward movement, however, causes the spring to move the roller out of groove 232B and into the deeper groove 232A. Whereupon, the spring 226 may force the button outwardly, the latter acting between the button and a suitable stop 230 carried by the shaft 23 Still another form is shown in Figure 9 as comprising a button 322 centrally bored as at 323 to receive a shaft 33|. In this case, at the bottom of bore 323 is a double spring member 335 suitably anchored and having the free ends of its arms 335A spaced and hooked to coact with the head of a headed post 333 fixed to the end of shaft 33|. Encircling the post 333 is a slidable ring 336 of a width less than the length of the post and having an outside diameter equal or greater than that of the head.

In this form the further inward movement of the button causes the hooked arms 335A to ride up on the ring 336 and when the button is thrust outward by spring 331, they, of course, pass over the post head.

While the several forms of the device thus far described all show circular buttons, it is obvious that other forms may be used and in Figures 10 and 11 such a form is indicated. In these gures, the handle 00 is shown as having a central cylind rical portion with lateral arms 43| and in such case, of course, the opening 402 in panel 20 will be of a similar size and shape.

It is obvious that other than square shafts may be used in the present device in some of its forms and such a construction is indicated in Figure 12 wherein the opening 23A in the handle is circular in section and the shaft and handle prevented from relative angular movement by means of a spline 23B.

It is also obvious that in some constructions, particularly that of Figures 1 to 3, the shaft may be fixed in the handle or may be omitted and other means used to connect the handle and the device to be operated.

Any suitable materials may be used for the several parts, but the use of die cast parts and of plastic materials permit the making of parts not otherwise possible to make.

Now having described the invention and the preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that said invention is to be limited, not to the specic details herein set forth, but only by the scope of the claims which follow: i

I claim:

1. A device of the kind described consisting of a support having an opening, a thimble fixed over said opening, a shaft extending into the rear end of said thimble, a button slidably mounted in said opening and telescoping with said shaft, the parts being so proportioned that said button may project from said panel or may be slid inwardly to a position wherein its outer face is somewhat inward of the panel face, said thimble near its rear end being provided with a peripheral groove, a flat ring loose in said groove and of less width than the groove, a spring ring carried by said button and adapted to expand into said groove whereby to retain said button in a position 'near the end of its inward movement, said rings both being of such shape as to permit the telescoping of the spring ring into the other when the button is moved to the end of its inward movement, and a spring acting between the end of said thimble and said button to thrust the latter to its projected position.

2. A device of the kind described consisting of a support having an opening, a thirnble fixed over said opening, a shaft extending from the rear of said panel into the end of said thimble, a button slidably mounted in said opening and telescoping with said shaft, the parts being so proportioned that said button may project from said panel or may be slid inwardly to a position wherein its outer face is somewhat inward of the panel face, said thimble near its rear end being provided with movement, a second peripheral groove near the panel end of said thimble into which said spring ring may expand whereby to limit the outward movement of said button, and a spring acting between the end of said thirnble and said button to thrust the latter to its projected position.

CHARLES A. SCHALLIS. 

